Mixtape #177


We've never been shy about our love for The Dwarfs of East Agouza, who have been in our hearts since their debut Bes came out in 2016. The Cairo-based trio of stellar and adventurous musicians Sam Shalabi, Maurice Louca, and Alan Bishop have been constantly pushing the limits of what’s possible in music since forming in 2012. Unpredictable and hypnotically engaging, their sound is a thrilling collision of free jazz, krautrock, shaabi, North African rhythms, and improvisation. Last month, they released their eighth album, Sasquatch Landslide, a bold, transcendental, and fervent record that we simply cannot put down. So we’re beyond excited to have them curate this month’s mixtape. Sam, Alan, and Maurice have each contributed their own unique picks, Sam with the initial 20-minute selection of tracks, Alan with a single 20-minute composition, and Maurice with several distinct tracks, all combined to create a vibrant and sublime sonic puzzle. Press play and enjoy!

  1. Jim Hall – Steps [MusicMasters Jazz / Limelight]
  2. The Beatles – Helter Skelter (First Version / Take 2) [Apple Records]
  3. Ahmed Adawyya – Bint El Amir
  4. The Rolling Stones – Bitch (live) [Mighty Diamonds]
  5. Eyvind Kang & The Neti-Neti Band – BINAH [Abduction]
  6. Cheb Khaled – Aakaibi Mestourine
  7. Annette Peacock – I’m The One [RCA]
  8. Lucrecia Dalt – No Tiempo [Rvng Intl.]
  9. B R A H J A – Watermeloncholia [cortizona]
  10. Asher Gamedze – Siyabulela [On The Corner Records]

Mixtape #76

You might have noticed our ever growing soft spot for the multi-instrumentalist Jherek Bischoff. A wonderfully talented and prolific musician, composer, arranger and producer, his numerous projects to date spans from prog rock to pop and classical music. Jherek's recently released album Cistern follows his debut, Composed, which swiftly made its way to our Album Picks of 2012. Rooted in ambient and modern classical music, Cistern is a profoundly beautiful and meditative orchestral album that will firmly tug at your heartstrings. So we're over the moon to unfold the mixtape he has lovingly assembled for CTD reflecting some of his extraordinary influences.


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